Universal balance testing machine



y 1965 J. P. LANNEN 3,183,371

UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gale-F may: z 5

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May .4, 1965 J. P. LANNEN UNIVERSAL BALANCE TESTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3 181,371 UNIVERSAL BALAlqCE TEgTlNG MAQHWE Joseph P. Lannen, Detroit, Mich, assignor to lvlicropoise Engineering 8: Sales (10., Detroit, Mich, a partnership Filed Nov. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 236,535 7 Claims. (CI. 73-483) This invention relates to universal balance testing machines and particularly machines employing fluid pressure to reduce frictional resistance to tilting of a work carrier about a universal pivot in testing a work piece for unbalance.

An object of the invention is to provide a balancing machine with a work carrier and an underlying sleeve, these parts having substantially the same vertical axis and being slidable up and down relative to a fixed annular member for seating the carrier, the latter and said member having similar interengageable spherically curved seating faces of annular form, the center of curvature of said faces being substantially at the axis of said slidable parts and upwardly spaced from said faces.

Another object is to afford a work carrier a limited up and down travel, and to provide an annular member for seating the carrier in its down position, the carrier and its seating member having complementary annular spherical faces of the same radius, interengageable in the down position of the carrier to afford universal lateral tilting of the carrier.

Another object is to apply an upward fluid pressure to the carrier in its down position, thus materially reducing the gravitational pressure applied by the carrier and its load to the annular seating member.

Another object is to apply said fluid pressure at various points of the spherical face of the carrier by forming the seating member with a plurality of circumferentially spaced pressure fluid passages opening at the desired points of said spherical face.

Another object is to rigidly install on the seating member a ring coaxial with and inwardly projecting from said member to predeterminedly limit up travel of the work carrier.

Another object is to employ a pump to deliver a fluid under pressure upwardly to a work carrier, and to transmit vibrations of the pump to an element resisting rotation of the carrier, thus overcoming any tendency of the carrier to rotate materially about the vertical axis established by the universal pivot.

Another object is to install beneath the carrier a sleeve having a slight up and down sliding travel, and to provide for manually raising and lowering such sleeve, the latter, in its up position, taking effect on the carrier to establish a raised position thereof and thereby firmly clamp the carrier against a fixed abutment, so as to avoid any pivotal play of the carrier when work is being applied to or removed from the carrier.

These and various other objects are attained by the constuction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional elevational view of the improved machine, taken in part on the line 1--1 of FIG. 5, and showing also a diagram of a fluid flow system employed by the machine.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a pivotal carrier for a work piece and universal level.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 1.

In these views, the reference character ll designates a ice hollow base including a cover plate 2 having a central aperture 3. A casting 4 surmounts the plate 2 in a covering relation to said aperture and is rigidly bolted to the plate as indicated at 5. Integral with and upstanding on said casting is an annular seating member 6 having its upper end face spherically and concavely curved about a pivot 7 located in the upwardly extended vertical axis of said seating member. Normally seated on and above the member 6 is an annular work carrier 8 having an enlarged lower portion 9 presenting to said seating member a spherically and convexly curved annular face complementary to that of said member. The described arrangement is such that a work piece (not shown) loaded on the carrier 8 may tilt in unison with the carrier about the center point 7 in any lateral direction responsive to unbalance of the work.

To minimize friction between the spherical faces and thus increase sensitivity of the machine, it is preferred to subject the carrier 8 to upward pressure of a fluid, preferably oil. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the member 6 is formed with a suitable number of vertical passages 10, delivering oil upwardly from an annular passage 11 at the base of said member to the spherical top face of said member. The passage 11 receives oil from a tube 12 leading from a pump 13, which draws its supply from areservoir 14. Adjoining the member 6, the casting 4 is formed with inner and outer annular, open-topped chambers 15 and 16 receiving oil discharging from the spherical pivot-forming faces. The outer of said chambers lies between the member 6 and an annular wall 17 rigid with and upstanding upon the casting 4. Said chambers are in terconnected by one or more passages 18 and a tube 19 returns oil from said chambers to the reservoir 14. It is preferred to provide a relief valve 20 in the tube 12 to regulate pressure applied at the spherical faces by returning any desired portion of the circulating oil to the reservoir through a tube 21.

It has been found that the work carrier and its load have a slight tendency, when subjected to upward fluid pressure, to rotate about the vertical axis determined by the universal pivot. The carrier floats so freely, when fluidsupported, that a quite small force may induce the described rotation. Any such rotation is objectionable since it would tend to shift the level 39 with relation to the base, whereas said level is best available for inspection in a definite relation to the base. To resist any such rotational tendency, it is preferred to rigidly install on the carrier a bracket having a downwardly opening slot 23 formed between furcations 24. Into said slot there is upwardly extended an element 22 which will abut either of two oppositely spaced lugs 24. 1 on the furcation-s, to overcome any small force tending to effect the aforementioned objectionable rotation of the carrier. The element 22 is preferably a post fixedly supported at its lower end. Said post preferably has its lower end socketed in a sleeve 26a through which there snugly extends the tube 12 through which oil is delivered by the pump 13. Operation of the pump imposes a somewhat rapid vibration on the tube 12, sleeve 26, and post 22, whereby the post tends to center itself between the lugs 24:: in case of any slight tendency toward rotation of the carrier. By forming the post 22 as a closely wound coil spring, it acquires a slight resiliency improving its coact-ion with the lugs 24a.

Slida-ble up and down below the carrier 8 is a sleeve 26 coaxial with the seating member 6, wall 17, and chambers 15 and 16. A slide bearing 27 for said sleeve is integral with the casting 4 and extends through the opening 3 of the base. Said sleeve has a frusto-conical exterior face 28 at its upper end for engaging a similar interior face 2811 on the lower end of the carrier. In its lowermost position, said sleeve is spaced slightly downward from the carrier and in assuming its maximum raised position the sleeve first engages. and then slightly elevates the carrier,

1 whereby an annular rib 29 formed exteriorily on the lower end of the carrier is upwardly clamped against a ring 39 rigidly. surmounting the wall 17 andv inwardly projecting from the latter to engage above said rib. As illustrated, a plurality of screws 31 secure'the ring 38 to the wall 17. To manually activate the sleeve, its lower end is engaged by two cams 32 spaced diametrically of the sleeve and rigidly mounted on a shaft 33 horizontally journalled within the base, said shaft projecting suificiently to one side of the base to receive a handle '34. The cams illustrated serve not only to raise and lower the carrier but to also maintain the raised position under a considerable pressure. Thus the sleeve and ring may be regarded as clamping jaws coacting in'the raised limiting position of the carrier to prevent any sliding or tilting of the carrier. Stresses due to loading or unloading of the carrier are occasionally quite heavy, and the described raised position of the carrier is established to avoid imposing such stresses on the spherical pivot faces.

Surmounting the carrier 8 and-rigidly attached thereto by screws 35 is an adapter 36 structurally conforming to any particular type of work. Thus the adapter shown has a central cylindrical opening 37 and an annular boss 38 upstanding at the margin of said opening to fit into a cen- 'inner end by screws 41 to the carrier and radially projecting from the latter.

. During any period of use of the machine, the flow of oil to and from the spherical faces may continue without in terruption, regardless of clamping of carrier during inter-v vals of loading or unloading the machine, since the power necessary to maintain such flow is not suflicient to require conservation. 7

In the prior art, a ball has been to some extent used to support a work carrier at its vertical axis and thus provide for universal tilting of the carrier and its load. This is objectionable however because of the concentration of load substantially in a vertical line, and consequent undue wear imposed on the ball and on it seat. Employing annular spherical pivot means, as now disclosed, affords ample seating areas while minimizing frictional resistance to universal tilting. Forcing oil continuously between said seating areas will obviously maintain highly effective lubrication. What I claim is: V

. 1. A balance testing machine comprising a base, a substantially annular seating member mounted on and upstanding from the base, a work carrier disposed above the seating member and having a predetermined up and down travel, said member and carrier having complementary annular spherical faces of substantially thesarne radius, and such faces being interengageable in the down position of the carrier to afford a universal lateral tilting of the carrier, and means for applying fluid pressure upwardly to the carrier through the seating member to slightly raise the carrier and thereby reduce the gravitational pressure applied by the carrier and its load to the seating member,

said pressure-applying means including a plurality of fluid passages upwardly extending through and spaced circumferentially of said member and having outlets in the spherical face of said member, and means for delivering a fluid under pressure concurrently to said passages.

2. A balance testing machine as set forth in claim 1, said pressure-applying means including a pump imposing vibrations on a portion of said means, and means for applying said vibrations to the work carrier to resist rotat-ion of the carrier.

3. 'In a balance testing machine as set forth in claim 1, said pressure'applying means including a pump and means for delivering a liquid upwardly from the pump to the carrier, an element fixed on and upwardly extending from said delivery means and receiving vibrations from the pump through the delivery means, means on the carrier transmitting the vibrations to the carrier from said element, and means for returning the liquid from the carrier to the pump. I

4. A balance testing machine as set forth in claim 3, said element being a slightly flexible coiled spring.

spaced from said member, a ring surmounting said wall and inwardly projecting therefrom, and means fixed on the carrier to upwardly engage the ring and thus limit upward actuation of the carrier.

6. A balance testing machine as set forth in claim 1,

. said pressure-applying means including two annular chambers, substantially coaxial with said seating member, and

respectively having interior and exterior proximity to said member, and both opening upwardly to receive a liquid discharge from said spherical faces.

' 7. A balance testing machine comprising a work carrier, an annular means for universally pivoting said carrier, an adapter surmounting the carrier, a sleeve beneath the carrier for raising and lowering the carrier, means for relieving the pivot means of load in a raised position of the carrier, the adapter and carrier having substantially central openings communicating with the central opening of the sleeve to accommodate a downward extension from a Work piece carried by the carrier, and means for raising and lowering the sleeve.

Eeferenees Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,080,939 5/37 Tay1or 73-483 2,220,404 .11/40 Huislander 73-485 2,349,288 5/44 Lannen 73485 2,350,077 5/44 Smith 73484 FOREIGN PATENTS -.1,014,484 Q 6/52 France. 1,089,737 10/54 France.

RICHARD c. QUElSSER,.Primary Examiner.

, JAMES J. GILL, Examiner. 

1. A BALANCE TESTING MACHINE COMPRISING A BASE, A SUBTANTIALLY ANNULAR SEATING MEMBER MOUNTED ON AND UPSTANDING FROM THE BASE, A WORK CARRIER DISPOSED ABOVE THE SEATING MEMBER AND HAVING A PREDETERMINED UP AND DOWN TRAVEL, SAID MEMBER AND CARRIER HAVING COMPLEMENTARY ANNULAR SHPERICAL FACES OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RADIUS, AND SUCH FACES BEING INTERENGAGEABLE IN THE DOWN POSITION OF THE CARRIER TO AFFORD A UNIVERSAL LATERAL TILTING OF THE CARRIER, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING FLUID PRESSURE UPWARDLY TO THE CARRIER THROUGH THE SEATING MEMBER TO SLIGHTLY RAISE THE CARRIER AND THEREBY REDUCE THE GRAVITATIONAL PRESSURE APPLIED BY THE CARRIER AND ITS LOAD TO THE SEATING MEMBER, SAID PRESSURE-APPLYING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF FLUID PASSAGES UPWARDLY EXTENDING THROUGH AND SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID MEMBER AND HAVING OUTLETS IN THE 